The field of this invention relates generally to a method of making a yogurt spread which has the appearance, taste, consistency and texture of cream cheese, but has a fat content significantly below that of conventional cream cheese.
In recent years, for health as well as cosmetic reasons, there has developed an increasing concern with diet which is focused on diets which reduce calorie and fat consumption. Low calorie foods which look and taste like their higher calorie counterparts have been eagerly sought by the public. To this end, food researchers have concentrated on developing food products which are nutritious and palatable, but which contains substantially reduced levels of calories and/or fat. This has been particularly true in the early industry where such low calorie, low fat products as skim milk, yogurt and the like have been successfully marketed.
However, the high fat levels in some dairy products, such as cream cheese, have heretofore been thought to be necessary to maintain a desirable creamy mouth feel. As a result, those individuals choosing to reduce their calorie or fat intake have usually omitted high fat dairy products, such as cream cheese, from their diets.
Previously there have been efforts to prepare cream cheeses which are low in fat. Conventional cream cheese has a fat of thirty five to forty percent. Heretofore, methods to reduce the fat quantity of a cream cheese have produced "immitation" cheeses with a fat content of ten to fifteen percent. Although this is a substantial reduction, it has been found that of those desiring or required to reduce their calorie and/or fat intake, that a ten to fifteen percent fat content is still undesirable.
Previous to the present invention, it is believed that all prior effort toward the arriving at of a imitation cream cheese would utilize as the basic component a cheese product, such as cottage cheese curd. It is not believed to have been known within the prior art to utilize yogurt as the base for the producing of a substance which has the consistency, appearance, taste and texture of conventional cream cheese.